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Molloy College
School of Education and Human Services

Elisabeth Perlegis Professor Brenda Young

Science Mrs. Peters

Grade 3 Lesson# 2 The Life Cycle April 26, 2023

Seaford School District Seaford Harbor Elementary School

STANDARDS AND INDICATORS

New York State Next Generation Science Standards

3-LS1-1: Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but

all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.

[Clarification Statement: Changes organisms go through during their life form a pattern.]

[Assessment Boundary: Assessment of plant life cycles is limited to those of flowering plants.

Assessment does not include details of human reproduction.]

Indicator: This will be evident when students complete the “Compare It” worksheet

to compare and contrast the life cycle of a frog with another animal, and discover the

commonalities between the life cycle: birth, growth, reproduction, and death.

New York State Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Comprehension and Collaboration

3SL1a:

Come to discussions having read or studies required material, draw on that preparation
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and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

Indicator: This will be evident when students collaborate with their partners/group members to

“Frog Vocabulary Activity (matching activity”, where students will draw upon their prior

knowledge to discuss with their peers their ideas).

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE(S)

After listening and participating a Think-Pair-Share to discuss what the pictures could represent,

and completing station rotation activities, students will be able to explain the life cycle of frogs

in comparison to other animals, by completing an exit ticket called “Reflection”, answering at

least 4 out of the 5 questions correctly.

PRIOR ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE, CONCEPTIONS/MISCONCEPTIONS

Prior Academic Knowledge

Before the science lesson on identifying the life cycle of a frog, students must be able to identify

what a life cycle is. Students must have some background knowledge about animals growing

throughout life cycle stages. Students must be able to develop and answer questions about a text.

Students must be able to make observations and connections between diverse life cycles and

animals.

Misconceptions

Some students may believe that all animals same the exact same life cycle stages. Students may

confuse frogs and toads. Students may confuse that all animals have life stages: birth, growth,

reproduction, and death. Students may believe feelings don’t change. Students may confuse the
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word camouflage with metamorphosis.

DEVELOPMENTAL PROCEDURES (*Engaging the learner)

1. MOTIVATION- Students will first observe the three images on the PowerPoint

presentation which represent the life cycle stages of a frog. Students will predict what

these images represent. Students will participate in a Think-Pair-Share to make a

prediction and or claim about the life cycle. Students will write their claim (statement) on

their Claim, Evidence, Reasoning chart in their scientist manilla folder (What do you

notice about these pictures? Could it be a part of a life cycle? What is a life cycle? What

other cycles are there? Do animals have life cycles? Which one’s can you think of? What

could be some stages of a life cycle? How do you know?) (5 minutes).

2. Students will be introduced to key vocabulary that is important to understand. Students will

learn about the words, metamorphosis, life cycle, toad, camouflage, tadpole, etc. Students will

then be grouped into 3 group members per group for their station rotation activities. (Does

anyone know what the word metamorphosis means? Does anyone know what a toad is or a

tadpole?) (5 minutes).

3. Students will participate in station rotation activities to gather evidence based on their claim. At

station 1, students will participate in a Frog Vocabulary Activity, where they will match the

vocabulary words with their correct definition and write the definition on the “Frog Vocabulary

Worksheet”, before the sand timer runs out (Your goal is to try to match the vocabulary flash

cards to the correct definition before the sand timer runs out of sand. Use your context clues to

help you match the cards. What do you notice about the vocabulary words and the definitions?

Have you seen any of these words before? Do you think they apply to any other animal? Which

ones? How do you know?) (5 minutes).

4. Students will then go to station 2, where they will have to read and dissect the

“Frog reading worksheet” and highlight important information regarding the life cycle of a frog.

Students will be encouraged to annotate the text (What did you learn so far about frogs? Are

there any vocabulary words that you noticed from the previous station activity? Which ones? Did

you learn about similarities or differences between frogs and other animals? Is there a pattern in

the life cycle?) (5 minutes).

5. Students will then go to station 3, where they will be able to use the dry erase markers boards to

fill in an illustration of the life cycle of a frog. Students will draw the correct image underneath

each stage of the frog’s life cycle. Then students will be given the “Compare It” Venn diagram to

compare the life cycle of a frog to another animal (Which animal did you choose to compare

with a tadpole? What are the stages of the tadpole? What are the life cycle stages of the other

animal?) (5 minutes)

6. Students will then participate in an Exit ticket, called “Reflection” to assess their knowledge

(What are the stages of a life cycle-that can apply to any animal? Do you have any questions

pertaining to the exit ticket?) (10 minutes).

7. Students will then meet the teacher at the carpet, to review their observations and data collected.

Students will participate in a +1 routine, where they will add onto each other’s’ observations and

ideas acquired throughout each of the station activities (What did you learn today? Did your

evidence match your claim? How? Give evidence and reasoning? What can we do if our

evidence does not match our claim?) (10 minutes)

ASSESSMENT (formal & informal)

Informal assessment
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Questions posed by the teacher throughout all of the activities, Monitoring during group work,

station rotation activities, Think-Pair-Share, Frog Worksheet, Frog Vocabulary Activity,

“Compare It worksheet”.

Formal assessment

Students will be able to explain the life cycle of frogs in comparison to other animals, by

completing an exit ticket called “Reflection”, answering at least 4 out of the five questions

correctly.

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Direct Instruction

Indicator: This will be evident when the students are actively listening and participating

in the picture exploration activity, developing questions a claim to prove.

Indicator: This will be evident when students learn about the key vocabulary terms in

this lesson.

Cooperative Learning

Indicator: This will be evident when students work together with their partners

to discuss and compare and contrast the life cycle of frogs with other animals.

Indicator: This will be evident when the students are actively discovering the life cycle

stages of frogs and completing their “Frog Vocabulary Activity”.

Modeling

Indicator: This will be evident when the teacher models how students will be completing
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their station rotation activities throughout the lesson.

Questioning

Indicator: This will be evident when the students answer questions asked by the teacher

throughout the lesson and during each of the activities.

ADAPTATIONS

• For students who are classified as having Autism, directions will be simplified, and all

station rotation activities will be accompanied with visual representations. Students will

work in groups to complete the station rotation assignments as a team. Students will be

given additional time to complete assignments, along with simplified worksheets. Multi-

step activities will have steps broken down into manageable tasks.

• For students who have a Speech or Language Impairment, they will be given worksheets

and directions accompanied with visuals. Multi-step activities will have steps broken

down into manageable tasks. Students will work in groups during station rotation

activities.

• For students who have other health impairment, they will receive flexible seating, during

their station rotation activities. Students will also receive reminders to stay on task during

group work and independent work or when working in a large group setting. Student will

have access to sensory tools to be used to refocus.

• For English Language Learners, students will be provided with a vocabulary worksheet
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and visual cues presented throughout the PowerPoint presentation. ELL will work in their

groups to complete assignments together.

• There will be a pause in between each station rotation activity in order for students with

Auditory Processing Disorder to get a better understanding of the lesson content. The

teacher will also ask questions throughout each activity, to remind students about the

information they are learning about. The teacher will ask students to repeat what is

happening throughout the story, and about the stages of the life cycle, they have

identified so far. The “think” portion of the Think-Pair-Share allows students to process

their thoughts before exchanging ideas with a partner and the rest of the class. Likewise,

the pair portion allows students to review their thoughts before sharing with the whole

class and teacher. Visual aids/cues will be provided for students with Auditory

Processing Disorder in order to ensure students are engaged in the lesson. These aids can

be used to signal what students should be observing.

● Students with dyslexia will benefit from the teacher reading the classroom activity

questions and or instructions on worksheets. Teacher will read the informal/formal

assessments outloud. There will be visual cues added throughout the lesson to help

students understand the content. Students will receive the vocabulary worksheet that has

visual cues next to important vocabulary words (all students can benefit from a

vocabulary worksheet). Students with dyslexia will be able to use their co-writer

extension to complete their homework. Students can type their homework instead of

handwriting it.
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DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION

Using Multiple Intelligences to Differentiate

Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence

Students will be engaged by the hands-on feeling Frog Vocabulary Matching activity, as

it allows students to flip over the playing cards, and discuss with their peers which vocabulary

cards belong to the correct definition cards.

Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence

Students will form reasonable explanations on stages of the life cycle by discussing with

their peers what happens at each life cycle stage. Students will also verbally compare, and

contrast the life cycle of a frog with other animals.

Interpersonal Intelligence

Students will complete a Think-Pair-Share in order to detect what they observe based

on the visuals displayed on the board.

Visual Spatial Intelligence

Students will participate in an illustration station rotation activity where they will have to

illustrate the life cycle of a frog.

Struggling Students

For struggling students, they will be given a modified “Frog text” with pictures. Struggling

students in addition to all students will receive a vocabulary worksheet with visual cues

accompanying important vocabulary words. There will be visual cues throughout every activity

in addition to being incorporated throughout the google slides PowerPoint presentation.

Likewise, for struggling students, they will start at station 3, then progress to station 1 and 2, so
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they can have enough time to complete each activity.

Average Students

For average students, they will not be given modified worksheets, but be given hints throughout

each of the station rotation activities. Likewise, for average students, they will start at station 3,

then progress to station 1 and 2, so they can have enough time to complete each activity.

Advanced Students

For advanced students, they will be given the “I Wonder worksheet” to extend their learning.

Students will also be given bonus questions to extend their thinking, if they finish early with

their station rotation activities.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

Students will act as reporters and will research the difference between frogs and toads. Students

will then gather their notes and create a Flipgrid, reporting the information they obtained, connecting

their new knowledge to what they learned in class.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES:

DIRECT TEACHER INTERVENTION AND ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT

Direct Teacher Intervention

The teacher and the student will work together to review the life cycle stages of a frog by

completing the game, https://www.ecosystemforkids.com/life-cycles/life-cycle-of-a-frog.html

The teacher and the student will answer the questions together, while discussing what happens at

each stage of the frog’s life cycle.

Academic Enrichment

Students who exceed the lesson objective will complete the “Frog Close Read Worksheet” and

use their knowledge to create a PIXTON comic depicting five things they learned about frogs.

INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES AND MATERIALS

Google slides presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1leDZy-

Frog Reading Worksheet

Accommodated Frog Reading Worksheet

Frog Vocabulary Activity

“Compare it” Academic Enrichment activity

“I wonder worksheet”

Frog Close Read Worksheet

Review Game: https://www.ecosystemforkids.com/life-cycles/life-cycle-of-a-frog.html

Illustration of a Frog Worksheet

Claim, Evidence, Reasoning Worksheet

Vocabulary Worksheet
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REFERENCES

New York Department of Education (2017), New York State next-generation English language

arts learning standards [PDF], Retrieved from

http://www.nysed.gov/common/nysed/files/programs/curriculum-instruction/nys-next-ge

neration-ela-standards.pdf

New York Department of Education (2017), New York State next-generation Science standards

[PDF], Retrieved from

http://www.nysed.gov/common/nysed/files/programs/curriculum-instruction/nys-next-ge

neration-ela-standards.pdf

Wisnewski, F., & Giouroukakis, V. (2021). Back to basics of teaching: Best practices for diverse

learners. Kendall Hunt.

Visual Cues During Each Activity